Health & The People

• who was hippocrates

  ancient greek physician

  • developed the theory of the four humours
  • developed the hippocratic oath
  • encouraged doctors to seek natural causes + cures through clinical observation
• what is the hippocratic oath


  a pledge made to prioritize patient well being + uphold medical integrity with ethical standards
• what is the theory of four humours


  suggests illness is caused by an imbalance of the 4 substances making up the human body

  • blood
  • phlegm
  • black bile
  • yellow bile
• what is the hippocratic corpus


  written collection of hippocrates work

  • shared his knowledge with doctors around the world
• what are the seven factors affecting medical development

  • war
  • superstition + religion
  • chance
  • government
  • communication
  • science + tech
  • role of individuals
• who was galen


  a renowned roman doctor

  • worked on anatomy through dissection
  • developed the theory of opposites from the theory of the four humours
• what was the theory of opposites


  illness is caused by an imbalance of the 4 humours :

  • blood
  • phlegm
  • black bile
  • yellow bile

  so internal balance could be restored by using opposites
• what was galens work on anatomy


  dissecting animals

  • e.g. pigs + monkeys
• what correct finding did galen discover through his dissections


  discovered the brain controls speech
• what incorrect finding did galen discover through his dissections


  blood passage

  • believed blood passed from the sides of the heart through tiny holes in the septum
  • blood really passes around the heart through veins + arteries

  human jaw

  • believed the jawbone was 2 separate bones
  • it is really just 1
• what were doctors trying to when giving treatments according to the theory of the opposites

  trying to support the bodies natural function

  • bloodletting -> getting rid of excess blood
  • purging -> getting rid of excess fluids
• how long was the theory of the four humours used to inspire ideas + treatments

  until the 19th century

  • germ theory was developed in 1861
• where would the poor find medical assistance in medieval england

  • barber surgeons
  • wise women
  • wise men
• where would the rich find medical assistance in medieval england


  university trained physicians

  • practised ideas of ancient doctors like hippocrates + galen
• where did medieval doctors get their knowledge from

  • university lectures
  • debating the findings of medical books
• how was medical knowledge passed down in medieval england

  • word of mouth
  • books preserved by the church
• why did medicine regress in the medieval period

  following the fall of rome, people believed more primitive ideas about the causes of disease
• how were galenic texts revitalised


  byzantine + islamic scholars preserved his work

  • translated into arabic
  • disseminated through diplomatic exchanges + shared centres of learning
• why did the church support galens teaching


  galen believed a greater being created human life

  • this was compatible with christian beliefs
• how did the church prevent questioning of galenic principles


  they controlled teaching in universities

  • encouraged the pursuit of natural causes + treatments of disease
• what quotes encouraged the church to help others

  • heal the sick (matthew)
  • jesus healed all the sick (matthew)
  • the Lord nurses them when they are sick & restores them to health (psalms)
• what quote encouraged muslims to help the sick

  • For every disease Allah has given a cure (Hadith)
• how did the church help the development of medicine

  • monasteries were the only free source of help for those who were poor + sick
  • monks copied out galenic + hippocratic texts that preserved ideas that could later be developed
• how did the church hinder the development of medicine

  • imposed limitations of doctors ability to question + challenger ancient ideas
  • treatments were mainly based on easing pain rather than curing what God caused
• who was hugh of lucca


  medieval surgeon

  • discovered how to minimise infections through using wine on wounds
• who was theodoric of lucca


  medieval surgeon

  • hugh of luccas son
  • developed the treatment of wounds with wine
  • openly criticised the galenic + hippocratic works on wound treatment
• how did medieval attitudes change towards earlier beliefs

  • surgeons depended less on ideas found in ancient tests
  • used more practical experience
  • 'ancient writers teach and almost all modern surgeons follow them' (theodoric of lucca)
• how did knowledge of anaesthetics develop in the medieval period

  • surgeons experimented with primitive forms of anaesthetic
  • became common to give patients opium based drugs to make them sleepy
• how did knowledge of operations develop in the medieval period

  • most surgeons were still barber surgeons
  • textbooks were first written on surgery now
  • de chauliac developed principles on the qualities of a surgeon
• who was robert frugadi


  medieval italian surgeon

  • wrote one of the 1st textbooks on surgery
• who was guy de chauliac


  medieval french physician

  • developed the 'four necessary' qualifications of a surgeon

  1.) very well educated

  2.) must have practical experience

  3.) must be honest

  4.) should be able to adapt himself to different circumstances
• why was islam important to the development of medicine

  • quranically, muslims have a duty to help the sick + pay towards charity
  • this money was used to develop bismaritans (hospitals)
  • islamic scholars also helped preserved hippocratic + galenic works by translating them into arabic
• why was islamic medicine more developed than christian medicine in the medieval period

  • islam encouraged doctors to develop new ideas + treatments
  • the catholic church ,however, limited how much doctors could challenge galenic work
• who was rhazes


  a medieval iraqi doctor

  • planned the first documented hospital ever in AD805
  • encouraged medical observations
  • wrote 200+ books -> they were translated into latin and used in universities in europe
  • first person to work out difference between smallpox + measles
• who was avicenna


  a medieval iranian doctor + astronomer

  • wrote many books exploring medicine + treatment
  • most famous book is 'the canon of medicine' -> discusses anatomy + human development + natural treatment
  • developed the works of galen rather than just copying it
• how was islamic medicine similar to christian medicine

  • both cared for the sick
  • both discourages dissections of humans
  • both catered for the rich + poor
  • both were free to visit
  • both used hippocratic + galenic ideas
• how was islamic medicine different to christian medicine

  • muslims were ore sympathetic to mental illnesses -> created marristans for them
  • muslims pushed for newer medical ideas
  • muslims used more critical thinking
  • muslims wrote about weight (e.g. anorexia + obesity)
  • muslims relied on Allah instead of saints
  • muslims developed their bismaritans further with better staff + specialised doctors + wards for different issues
• what is public health

  the actions taken by government to improve the health of their people
• what was public health like in ancient rome

  • romans used their practical skills to produce the most sophisticated public health schemes
  • these protected people all around their empire from disease
  • this is because of 3 main factors :

  - motivation

  - resources

  - skills
• what are some definitive moments in public health

  1348 -> black death

  1665 -> great plague

  1861 -> germ theory

  1875 -> legislation for public health

  1948 -> NHS established